System and method for set-top box recording

• US 9,215,419 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rondeau, David, Emerson, David, Lafreniere, Gary, Goergen, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, CAI Y
• Application Number:
  US12/347,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,540 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44245 Monitoring the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. its availability, bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose an integrated set-top box for recording a voice communication and/or a voicemail. In one embodiment, the integrated set-top box automatically detects communications associated with a monitored communication line and records and stores the voice communications in a data storage unit of the integrated set-top box. In another embodiment, the integrated set-top box may provide voicemail capabilities in addition to other features.

Claims

1. A set-top box comprising:

memory for storing computer executable instructions;

a data storage unit for storing recorded voice communications and recorded media content files;

a line monitoring module for detecting a connected call on a communication line; and

a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions to;

record a voice communication occurring over the communication line being monitored in response to detecting the connected call has connected over the communication line, producing a recorded voice communication, wherein the recorded voice communication is a recording of a voice conversation that took place as part of the connected call;

store the recorded voice communication in the data storage unit, wherein the recorded voice communication was recorded in response to detecting the connected call;

generate a first user interface that displays a list having a plurality of entries indicating previously recorded voice communications stored in the data storage unit, the list including an entry for the recorded voice communication, along with information relating respectively to each of the plurality of entries;

enable a user to add notes to a recorded voice communication in a notes column of the first user interface;

provide a search interface that enables the user to search for a particular recorded voice communication by searching for a user-specified term in the notes column associated with the list of recorded voice communications;

wherein the first user interface includes a set of options for transmitting a selected recorded voice communication, and wherein the set of options for transmitting the selected recorded voice communication includes sending the selected recorded voice communication to an email address, sending the selected recorded voice communication as a SMS text message, and transferring the selected recorded voice communication to an external memory device locally coupled to the set-top box.

2. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer executable instructions to replay a portion of the voice communication over the communication line.

3. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer executable instructions to:

generate a second user interface that displays a list of recorded voicemails along with information relating to each of the recorded voicemails;

enable the user to add notes to a recorded voicemail in a notes column of the second user interface; and

provide a search interface on the second user interface that enables the user to search for a particular recorded voicemail by searching for a user-specified term in the notes column associated with the list of recorded voicemails.

4. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer executable instructions to store a caller ID associated with a second party of the voice communication.

5. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer executable instructions to control a playback of a selected recorded voice communication based on receiving inputs from a remote control device, wherein a same set of buttons on the remote control device are operable to control both the playback of the selected recorded voice communication and a playback of a recorded media content file.

6. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer executable instructions to parse the voice communication to enable a user to search for specific terms spoken during the voice communication.

7. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer executable instructions to record a voicemail in response to not detecting the connected call on the communication line within a specified period of receiving an incoming call.

8. The set-top box of claim 7, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer executable instructions to transmit the voicemail to a user specified email address.

9. The set-top box of claim 7 wherein the processing unit further executes the computer executable instructions to notify a user of a new voice voicemail.

10. A computer implemented method for recording a voice communication on a set-top box, the computer implemented method comprising:

monitoring a communication line to detect a connected phone call;

recording the audio associated with the connected phone call on the communication line being monitored;

storing the audio in a data storage unit associated with the set-top box, wherein the audio was recorded in response to detecting a connected phone call has connected over the communication line, the audio constituting a recorded voice communication, wherein the recorded voice communication is a recording of a voice conversation that took place as part of the connected call;

generating a first user interface that displays a list of a plurality of recorded voice communications along with information relating to each of the plurality of recorded voice communications, wherein the first user interface includes a set of options for transmitting a selected recorded voice communication of the plurality of recorded voice communications, and wherein the set of options for transmitting the selected recorded voice communication includes sending the selected recorded voice communication to an email address, sending the selected recorded voice communication as a SMS text message, and transferring the selected recorded voice communication to an external memory device locally coupled to the set-top box.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

capturing a caller identification associated with the connected phone call; and

storing the caller identification along with the audio in the data storage unit.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring the communication line to determine whether an incoming call is answered within a specified time;

responsive to the a determination that the incoming call is not answered within the specified time, playing a voicemail greeting; and

recording and storing a voicemail message in the data storage unit associated with the set-top box.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising controlling a playback of a selected recorded voice communication based on receiving inputs from a remote control device, wherein a same set of buttons on the remote control device are operable to control both the playback of the selected recorded voice communication and a playback of a recorded media content file.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising decoding a television signal to display a television program on a display unit associated with the set-top box.